JON LORD & Orchestra
01.09.2009, Roman Theatre, Plovdiv - Bulgaria

words by Ivaylo Alexandrov, photo: Angelin Toporchev (SME).

It is September again and it is time for days of perfection in our cultural center Plovdiv. The city really enlivens during the Autumn Salon of the Arts. Guest from all over the country (and not only) walk the streets and draw a joyfully colorful clamor. Last year the events were started by the famous keyboard player of the legendary progressive rock icons Yes – Rick Wakeman.

Last night the Salon began with another titan of the keyboards – the almighty Jon Lord of the national favorites Deep Purple. With the orchestra of the Opera and Philharmonic Society Plovdiv. In the Ancient theater. Beautiful!

And so, arranging a meeting with friends and colleagues, cutting some job (no, boss, I won’t rush my report, don’t touch my salary!) with two hours and off we go to Plovdiv. Great warming up with powerful Slayeeerrr from the primitive audio-cassette player in the silver Audi and we’re in the city with enough time for a post-concert beer. Or two?

The queue at the back entrance of the ancient facility hints that the event is sold out. As I think of it, it’s no surprise – as many times as Purple  come here, in whatever line-up, they will always fill halls and stadiums. Their fans are true to death. Most of them are as inveterate too but we’ll talk about it later.

The musicians of the Opera and Philharmonic Society Plovdiv and the band Te shared the bright stage and between the modern band and the classical group there were an empty royal and a Hammond. In front of them all the seats, bulges, parapets and stairs between the rows were taken by people. The average age was around 30 years as it was expected.

To not forget that the concert is the first of a series of events, reminded us the mayor of the city himself – Slavcho Atanasov. It appeared that he’s an old war horse too and a fan of “Yan” Gillan, “Yan” Paice and Ritchie “Blyackmore”. Ah, this post-socialist verbal inheritance! But he is a fan, we let the twisted names pass through, applaud and sit.

And here he is, exactly at 8 PM, dressed alegantly in black, with combed back in a silver pony-tale hair and white beard the venerable Jon Lord came on the stage. The audience leapt on feet and an avalanche of applauses and cheers burst out. Something that touches deep, as callously impartial one could be.

Lord greeted us, thanked and, as like as many of his colleagues before him, he expressed admiration for the city we are and he presented the first part of the performance that we were about to sink in – the wonderful 40-years old “Concerto for group and orchestra”. And the group – the guys of TE have always been away from my interest because of the impotent music they play. It appeared however, that in fact they can impress true rock fans. But everything with its time. Now… maestro (conductor Naiden Todorov), Music!

The three parts of the revolutionary for its time concert exploded in one hour of musical faery-scene, known to and loved by a few generations of listeners. The orchestra of more than sixty people impressed Jon Lord with their well-prepared parts and they provoked the sincere applauses of more than 2000 people, who have filled the amphitheater and Venko Poromanski (drums), Ivailo Zvezdomirov (bass) and especially Darin Vasilev (guitar) electrified the audience so much that there often blasted shouts and cheers worthy for a full-blooded rock concert.



No, Darin is not “Blyackmore” but his parts on the six strings gave the thirsty for classical hard rock crowd this, for what it has come. The former vocalist of Rainbow and Yngwie Malmsteen (just to mention few) Doogie White woke up a real furor when he appeared under the lights and the vocal parts were divided between him and the fragile Kasia Laska.

The first part and the actual “concerto” finished shortly before 9 PM. People took a walk to the beer-stands, they sent some clouds of smoke to the sky and some 10 minutes later the stage surrounded by the beautiful natural scenery of the Ancient theater got crowded by talented musicians for a second time.

“Welcome to the second part of the concert. We will begin with a song we wrote with Ian Gillan at a mountain in Switzerland…” At the next moment Lord is interrupted by a shout somewhere in the crowd “O-hoo!”

“O-hoo indeed. Let’s see if you recognize the song”. And after a short introduction there erupted 'Pictures of Home'. Here the crowd literally went crazy; people were screaming, whistling, clapping, shouting and it became clear what have expected a few hundred spectators in fact. Deep Purple.

Not that the songs of the great band did not sound fascinating in this arrangement. Not that Lord is not a main core in Purple. But we were at a concert of Jon Lord with an orchestra. Not a cover band. And this attitude of the Bulgarian “fan” of expecting every time the same “classics”, played to satiety on old players and mediocre radio shows irritates me truly. I am sorry but that’s it. We have heard such jewels of the solo works of the British musician as “The Sun Will Shine Again” (2004), “Bouree” (1976), “Pictured Within” (1998), that really took us in a different and more beautiful world. But when the show ended with the cheery “Gigue” and the encore drowned us in the melody of “Soldier of Fortune” – well, then it seemed that through the audience there passed a hurricane. And the closing “Child in Time” blew away the last resisting to the Purple-mania people to put the proof that “classics are needed here” as some squiffy individual with a cheap black t-shirt said at the exit. Classics indeed. The one you did not hear.